Conveyer



.i Aug; 14, 1945. G. A. MILLER CONVEYER Filed Nov. 19. 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l- INVENTOR. BY Goycyf/Mzler ATTORNEY.

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INVENTOR.

Gafygy Miller y ATTORNEZ Patented Aug. 14, 1945 coNvEvER Godfrey A. Miller, Toledo,'0hio, assignorto The De Vilbiss Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 19,1943, Serial No. 510,979

(Cl. ISS-19) 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to conveyers and particularly to such apparatus for carrying a series of articles to be spray coated or otherwise treated at one or more stations along the path of travel.

An important object of the invention is the provision of means for momentarily arresting the forward movement of each article as it reaches a treating station Without affecting the constant forward movement of the conveyer.

Another important purpose of the invention is to provide means for rotating the article during the period its travel is temporarily checked.

' Other lobjects of the invention will berevealed in the following description, the claims and the several views contained in the accompanying drawings, lin which:

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the .same portion shown supported by vertical members I, 2 and 3, and horizontal bracing bars 4, 5, 6 and 1. Upon the frame, including these vertical and horizontal members, is -mounted a iiat table comprising sections 8 and 9 on opposite sidesof and forming a guide fora 'link chain conveyer-'l0'. The drive for the chain may be the conventional arrangement comprising an electric motor and speed reducer. .This chain is used on edge'with its rollers II in a vertical position. These are mounted on pins I2 which are connected together alternately by a `set of two inner links I3,l

one on either side of the rollers, and then by a set of two cuter links I4. In most cases the upper one of the set of links I4 has been replaced by a plate I5, which extends llaterally on both sides of the chain Withvside'portions sliding'upon the table sections 8 and j9. 'One of the lateral extensions I is longer than the other and has a tubular Aupright 24 extending through it.

The chain conveyer is carried on sprockets vI I and I'l which are preferably Vof the same `diam-- eter. In this description .of apparatus. the 55 Lchain travel hasbeen assumed to be from left toright, passing rst around sprocket I6. Above and coaxial with each of the sprockets is a treating station -for the articles `carried on the conv eyer. Sprocket IB-is mounted on a hollow shaft I8 which is rotatably held in hearings I9 and 20. Sprocket I'l is supported on` a similar hollow shaft 2| which is held'in rotatable position by bearings 22 and 23. v

The vdistance of each upright 2,4 from the centerline of the chain is the same as the radius of either sprocket I6 or I'l. Consequently while the portiony of the chain carrying a plate I5 travels `around the sprocket on the same side `ofthe chain as `the tubular upright 24, the latter assumes a position coaxial with the sprocket.

. In the upper 4end of tubular upright 24 is set an articlev holding adapter 2.5. This has a rodlike depending extension fitting into the cylindrical. cavity vof upright 24. This extension has a serrated or saw tooth end reaching to near thev bottom edge of the plate I5. During the intervalv the. tubular upright 24 is coaxial with the sprocket, a revolving shaft 2'I Within the hollow shaft I8 (or v`2|) is moved upwardly. This shaft has 'an upper end serrated complementarily in regard to theendzof the extension 26. The rotating movement :oi the .shaft 2l and its upward shift brings it into driving connection with the rod extension rvand Ythereby rotates the .article supporting device f25 upon the tubular upright 24. Anyarticle -on ythe device 25 -is of course rotated with it. Y

VThe lsupporting adapter '25 may be made to accommodate Whatever part is to be treated. In

Fig. 2 a small calibre shell is shown on the left one of the two supportingv adapters 25. In practice most, if not all, uprights 24 would hold a device 25 and an articleto be treated thereon. A spray gun or .other treating device may be mounted in a stationary position adjacent the sprocket to vact upon the ,shell or other article to be treated .While itis momentarily retained at the treating station. 'The rotating movement provided the article. supporting device brings the peripheral surface of the article several times before the treating device. Should the latter be a spray gun, a multiple Alayer of .a .coating `material may thus be applied. Asmay .be seen, .my apparatus brings `thearticles ,to be .treated to a station vfor treatment rand holds them therefor the .time .required.. Thisis .done without .bringing the conveyer to a stop'. To stop the conveyer `foreach article vrequires .costly mechanism and thecontinuous stopping and starting of the whole conveyer, which may be very long, takes extra power and heavier construction because of the jarring effect upon the whole machine. i

The shaft 21 is revolved through V-pulley 28 and belt 29. The source of the power of the driving belt 29 is not shown, but may be a standard electric motor with a V-pulley.

On either side of each pulley is a 'washer 3|. The upper one bears against a downwardly facing shoulder 3| on the shaft 21, while the lower washer receives the thrust of spring 32.

tension of the spring may be varied by changing the position of lock nuts 33. `A housing 34 is held in place over the spring and the lock nuts by a nut 35 also threaded upon the shaft 21 and held against turning by a cotter pin 3'6. It may be seen that the pulley 28 does not have a positive driving connection with the shaft 21. The spring tension is so set however that under ordinary conditions the shaft 21 will rotate with the pulley 28 through the contact between the pulley and the upper washer 3| and that between this washer and the shoulder 30 on the shaft 21. Should the pulley be sharply accelerated or an increased load be applied suddenly' to the shaft,

`there will be a momentary slippage between the .pulley 28, washer 3| and shoulder 30. This is inclined to prevent any sudden change in speed of the shaft or any jerky movement when the shaft contacts an article supporting adapter.

Y The vertical reciprocation of shaft 21 is controlled by cam 31. This has an upper hub section 38 through which it is fixed to the revolving shaft |8 by a set screw 39. On the under edge of the lower flange portion 40 is a cammingsurarm 42 is forced downwardly by one of the lower quarter sections ofthe ycam 31, the yoke 48` drives the bushing 49 against washer 3| andthrough pulley 28, lower washer 3|, spring 32 and lock nuts 3'3 moves the shaft 21 downwardly. As the hollow shaft I8 revolves, a following higher quarter section of the cam surface permits arm 42 to be raised by the upward push of shaft 21. At the upper end of this shaft, is a flange 50 against which a spring bears. The Aother end of the spring rests upon washer 52 which is set against an upwardly facing shoulder within hollow shaft I8. The tension of spring 5i. is suiiicient to immediately raise the shaft 21 when it is not held in its lower position bythe cam 31. It may be seen therefore that during each revolu tion of the hollow shaft I8 .the inner shaft 21 is in raised position twice and lower position twice,

alternately moving up and down quarterly of each revolution.

The cam 31 is carefully positioned radially upon shaft |8 so that the cam surface will permit the article rotating shaft 21 to rise during the swing of each plate |5'through the quarter arc around sprocket I6 or I1, as the chain carrying the particular. plate YI5 travels about the sprocket.

Consequently, as soon as the Vplate Vl5 reaches i sprocket.

While in this particular embodiment the treating period is provided by a turn about the sprocket the size of the ar-c may be increased if it is desirable to lengthen the treating period.

The long lateral extensions of plates |5 do not interfere with each other even where they replace all upper links |4, if they are positioned alternately on opposite sides of the chain. If this arrangement is used, a treating station on each side of the chain vmust be provided as in the embodiment herein disclosed. In case it is desired to have treating stations on one side of the track only, the plates |5 may replace every alternate link I4.

It is understood that the embodiment herein disclosed is a preferred form of my invention and it may be variously changed without departing from-the spirit of the invention as dened in the following claims.

I claim 1. In a conveyer for carrying a series of ar ticles through a treating station, a link chain,y

a sprocket for the chain with a hole at its center, a rotatable article support carried by the conveyer in a position offset therefrom a distance equal to the radius of the sprocket so that the article support will assume a position concentric with the sprocket while the portion of the chain carrying it passes aroundI the sprocket, rotating means below the sprocket with anupwardly rotating extending'shaft, and means for raisingl the rotating shaft and bringing it through the center hole of the sprocket and into driving connection with the article support while the latter is concentric with the sprocket.

2. In a chain conveyer for carrying a series of articles to be treated, a sprocket engaging the chain conveyer, a hollow shaft on which the sprocket is mounted, al rotating shaft reciprocably held within the hollow shaft, a cam on the hollow shaft, a cam follower arm having a thrust vcontact with the rotating shaft to move it.vertically in one direction, a springy bearing against the rotating shaft to drive 4it vertically in the lother direction, and means forV supportng each successive article carried by the conveyer momentarily over the center of the sprocket, and engaging means between the last said means and the rotating shaft when the latter is in its upper position to provide rotary movement to each article. f

3. In a conveyer for carrying a series of articles through a treating station, an endless link chain, a sprocket about which the chainturns at the treating station, a'rotatable article support carried by the chain laterally offset therefrom on .the same sideV of the chain as the sprocket a distance approximately equal to the radius of the sprocket so that the support is held concentric with the sprocket while the portion of the chain which lcarries it turnsabout Vthe sprocket, and means contacting and rotating the article support while it is concentric with the sprocket.

4. In a conveyer for carrying a series of articles through a treating station, a link chain, a centrally bored sprocket at the treating station about which the chain travels, arms on links of the chain extending laterally on the same side of the chain as the sprocket, a platform parallel to the chain upon which the arms slide, vertically hollow members for supporting articles at the ends of the arms and space'd from the chain a distance equal to the radius of the sprocket so that each supporting member is concentric to the sprocket while the portion of the chain carrying the support is traveling about the sprocket, and article rotating means movable upwardly through the center bore of the sprocket and each hollow supporting member to rotate the article thereon when it reaches the treating station.

5. In a conveyer for carrying a series of articles through a treating station, a link chain, a centrally bored sprocket at the treating station about which the chain travels, arms on links of the chain extending laterally on the same side of the chain as the sprocket, a platform parallel to the chain upon which the arms slide, vertically hollow members for supporting articles at the ends of the arms and spaced from the chain a distance equal to the radius of the sprocket vso that each supporting member is concentric to the sprocket while the portion of the chain carrying the supporting member is traveling about the sprocket, article rotating means movable upwardly through the center ore of the sprocket and each hollow supporting member to rotate \the article thereon when it reaches the treating station, and cam means controlling the vertical movement of the article rotating means.

6. In a conveyer for carrying a series of articles through a treating station, an endless link chain, a sprocket on each side of the chain about which the chain turns, and article supports carried by the chain laterally spaced from the center line of the chain,'the article supports positioned on each side of the chain being spaced therefrom a distance approximately equal to the radius of thesprocket on the same side of the chain, so that eacharticle support assumes a position concentric with the sprocket on the same side of the chain -while the portion of the chain carrying the support moves around the sprocket.

7. In a conveyer for carrying a series of articles through a treating station, a link chain running in a horizontal plane, a sprocket about 

